When building a wind turbine, one of the factors crews must contend with is…wind.
There’s a term for it in the industry: “getting winded out.” When it happens, crews need to work quickly to make up for lost time.Turbines are naturally built in places that get a lot of wind, but if conditions get too windy, it isn’t safe for workers to be up in a tower.
That’s the situation one of our clients, a New York turbine contractor, found themselves in when they contacted Maxpro.
The contractor needed to install tower bolts – which hold the sections of the turbine towers together – and still stay on schedule, said Tom Macey, Maxpro’s president.
These bolts could be torqued with a hydraulic torque wrench, but Maxpro recommended the E-RAD 3000 electric torque wrench.
While the hydraulic wrench would do the job, it also requires ratcheting, whereas the ERAD is continuously turning tool, and thus significantly faster.
“You’re getting significant time savings with this super-critical installation,” said Macey.
The wind farm operator was pleased:
“We were able to install our wind turbine three times faster using ERAD torque equipment supplied and calibrated by Maxpro,” they said.
In addition to fastening tower bolts, the ERAD 3000 is good for fastening both blade bolts and hub bolts on wind turbines.
Since its introduction, the ERAD 3000 has become the top-selling tool in the ERAD line, and in the wind power industry.
Used on tower bolts and up-tower applications, it’s considered a must-own for any contractor or company that works on wind turbines.
Maxpro is the nation’s leading E-RAD repair center, and the only ISO 17025 accredited calibration lab able to certify E-RAD torque equipment.
Our calibration lab is accredited by A2LA, the nation’s premier accreditation body. We have a fully staffed, factory-certified repair department. We use only factory OEM parts and offer a limited six-month warranty on all ERAD repairs.
Aside from RAD’s electric, pneumatic and battery-powered tools, we are able to repair all major brands of hydraulic torque wrenches as well as associated hydraulic torque wrench pumps and power packs.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you complete your next wind turbine project.
